After a stellar season at APIA Leichhardt, former Western Sydney Wanderers youth product Mathieu Cordier has joined Sydney Olympic for the upcoming National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s campaign and he is raring to go.
Cordier is a quality left-footed defender, who will bring defensive strength and ball-playing ability to an already strong Sydney side.
Cordier’s move comes after a sturdy season at APIA, where he believed his former side was gaining strong momentum before the COVID-19 outbreak caused stoppages in the league.
“I really enjoyed the season with APIA”, said Cordier.
“I loved the boys there and it was a great club – we did well before COVID cut the season short.
“We were gaining a lot of momentum in that mid-second half part of the season, so it was unfortunate it got stopped by COVID but it was a great squad.”
Cordier’s move came around following a period on trial at Newcastle Jets, where he narrowly missed out on a professional contract for the season.
“I was at the Jets for the preseason and was there for a few months”, said Cordier.
“I was just trying to work my way into a contract but unfortunately, there weren’t any available for me there.”
However, Cordier didn’t skip a beat in joining one of the most famous NPL sides in Australia in Sydney Olympic, citing the quality of the club and his relationship with Olympic coach Ante Juric as key reasons for making the move to his new club.
“I spoke to the coach (Ante Juric) beforehand and I’d known him from a previous club”, he said.
“We have a good relationship and I also have a couple of close mates who were there that I’ve been with for a while.
“Olympic is one of the biggest NPL clubs in the country, so I knew a lot about them and having played against them I knew the kind of team they were.
“I was excited to be part of that.”
With good mates already at the club, Cordier has found the transition easy – the quality of the side clear from the off according to the 22-year-old defender.
“I’ve been settling in really well”, said Olympic’s new recruit.
“There’s a really good balance between some experienced ex A-League Men boys and there’s lots of youth coming through too.
“There are also boys who have been fringe players in A-League teams like myself, and we know each other really well and how to play well together. It’s been an easy settle in.”
Cordier has set the standards high for the upcoming campaign, as Olympic looks to secure the NPL Men double for the third time in their history.
“We want to do as well as we can in all competitions”, he said.
“We want to win the Premiership and then the grand final, and we want to go as far as we can in the Australia Cup.
“We loved that Sydney FC game, playing an A-League Men team at home, so to get to something like that again and maybe go a step further would be the goal.”
Meanwhile, on a personal level, Cordier’s aim is to work his way back into the professional game, with the possibility of another good season providing an opportunity for A-League Men clubs to take a look.
“For me, the dream is to get back into the professional environment”, said Cordier.
“I’m doing everything I can at the moment to get back there so I’ve just been focused on playing well.
“I want to do as well as I can for Sydney Olympic and then keep working hard to hope that something can come along and I can get an opportunity.”
Olympic will open their campaign against Manly United this Saturday, the 5th of March, with Cordier looking to secure three points and a clean sheet to start the season strongly.
-By Jack George